It may have started as an Amazon Prime perk, but with the help of some award-winning content, Amazon’s streaming service is now a true Netflix competitor. With its purchase of MGM, meanwhile, it will acquire a hefty catalog that goes back decades.
Amazon Prime Video is not exactly like other video-streaming services. While it’s available as a standalone service for $8.99 per month, most people likely interact with it as a benefit of Amazon Prime, which runs $119 per year. Also unlike its streaming competition, there’s pay content mixed in with the gratis stuff. It can be difficult (sometimes frustratingly so) to separate them, particularly when Prime Video offerings change monthly.
That said, Prime Video has much to offer and has quietly evolved into a premier streaming service in and of itself, with top-notch originals like The BoysThe Boys and an impressive library of films.
If you’re not a Prime subscriber, Amazon Video is definitely a factor to consider (as is the upcoming Prime Day). If you are a subscriber, here are some features you might not know about.
Find the ‘Free to Me’ Stuff
Amazon Video—the app and the website—includes movies and TV shows that are available to stream as part of Amazon Video, as well as selections that you’ll need to buy or rent to watch. But it can be annoying to find something that piques your interest only to realize that it’s not included as part of Prime Video. Filter out the paid stuff by tapping the Free to Me toggle on the top right of the mobile app or the Free to Me tab on the web. Selections that are part of Prime Video will include a small Prime banner on them.
Put It on Shuffle
Sometimes you just want to watch episodes of the sitcom you’ve seen a thousand times before. But choosing which one to put on takes some of the fun out of it. On Android, embrace spontaneity and tap Shuffle episodes, which will pick one to play at random. It’s not available on every show. We spotted it on 30 Rock, The Simple Life, and Buffy, for example, as well as Flack. But it wasn’t on newer shows like PanicPanic or Invincible. There’s no shuffle option on iOS yet.
Have a Watch Party
Host a computer browser-based watch party on Amazon Prime with up to 100 other people who also have Prime, and sync your watching and chat at the same time. Select a movie or episode of a show and then click the Watch Party icon. Enter a name to use during the party and then click Create Watch Party. You’ll be given a link that you can then share with your friends.
Download for Viewing on the Go
In 2015, Amazon Video was the first streaming giant to add downloads for offline viewing. It’s ideal for long flights or commutes without Wi-Fi access. Just hit the download button next to what you want to download (select video quality, if prompted); for TV you can download an entire season or single episodes. When you’re ready to watch, tap Downloads (iOS) or My Stuff > Downloads (Android) in the Prime Video app. Content will typically be available for 30 days after you download it and 48 hours once you start watching.
Keep Separate Profiles
Make your watchlist your own by creating separate profiles for everyone who shares your account. Whether you’re on a browser, mobile device, or a streaming device, click on the account profile and then tap the option to add a new profile. Amazon supports up to five other profiles on each account. You can also edit and remove profiles from this same screen.
Share Your Prime Video Access
Amazon has cracked down on how generous Prime members can be with sharing their membership benefits; you can now share your benefits with one adult as opposed to the previously allowed four via Amazon Household. (Household does support up to four teens or four children in addition to the one adult, though). As the name suggests, Amazon wants the person you’re sharing with to be part of your family; once linked, you share payment data. So if you don’t want a random friend to have access to your credit card, this isn’t for you. To add someone, navigate to Amazon Household and select Add Adult.
Set Parental Controls
Don’t want the little people in your house watching big people do bad make-believe things? You can set parental controls that will stop anyone without a special five-digit PIN from accessing certain ratings categories (as an added bonus, you can also stop any PIN-less people from making any unauthorized purchases). Go to Video Settings, click the Parental Controls tab, and create an Amazon Video PIN. Then scroll down to Viewing Restrictions and select a level.
Get a Closer Look
Did you know Amazon owns IMDb? It’s true. Thanks to this, the X-Ray feature feeds viewers a steady stream of info about the actors, filmmakers, music, and assorted trivia in each scene. Just mouse-over or tap the screen while a video is playing for details about the actors in a scene.
Watch for Free
IMDb offers a free video-streaming service, dubbed IMDb TV, which allows you to watch for free, if you can handle a few ads. You’ll need to sign in to stream, but IMDb TV is bundled into Prime Video, so you don’t need to download another app or pull up a separate website. Just look for the Watch Now Free with Ads option on a movie or TV show.
Closed Captioning
Closed captioning is a helpful feature for anyone, regardless of hearing ability. To enable it on the Amazon Video app, tap the closed captioning icon at the top right and turn captions on in your language of choice.
Customize Captions
On the desktop, you can customize how captions look. Just click the captions chat bubble on the top right and select Subtitles Settings. An on-screen menu will let you change the size, color, and font of the caption text.
Turn Off Auto Play
With the Next Up feature, a little box comes up at the bottom corner of the screen at the end of a TV episode, letting you quickly start the next episode. To turn off Auto Play, go into Video Settings, click the Player tab, and turn Auto Play off.
Change the Channels
Amazon Channels lets you add subscriptions to other streaming services to your Amazon account, from HBO and Showtime to Starz and Paramount+. You still have to pay, but everything is accessible from one app. To find channels, go to the main menu for Prime Video and click the Channels tab.
Keep Up On What’s New
Not sure what to watch? To keep up with what’s new on Prime Video, follow the official @PrimeVideo Twitter account or its original production arm, @Amazon_Studios.
